Upcoming Events

EVENTS 2009

June 6th -- Paint the Town

Inviting artists of all levels to participate in a daylong community
event to "Paint the Town" on 6 June of 2009 (Saturday).

This is an opportunity for budding artists of all ages to express themselves. Children, teens and adults can participate in this full day event.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: At 9:00 am, artists will bring their supplies to the Museum on Main to receive their informational packets and box lunches. Our artists will go out to paint their views of the area. The artists will bring their completed "wet" paintings of the area back to the Museum by 3:00pm.

FROM 4 TO 6 PM: All art will be on display at a silent auction. Winning bidders will be announced at 6pm when auctioneer Ken Mercer will open a voice auction of a select group of paintings. Click here to see complete flyer.

July 1st: Mini Civil War Presentation #3

A Visit from Abraham Lincoln on July 1^st , Wednesday at 6:30pm to 7:30pm at the Pleasanton’s Museum on Main. Roger Vincent, re-enactor brings you a warm, sincere, authentic portrayal of our 16^th President of the United States of America. He will give an over view of Lincoln’s Life from the humblest of beginnings to the White House. He will read excerpts from his great speeches. He will also share anecdotes and old jokes which Lincoln told to many that gathered around him. So come join us for a fire side chat with the “Great Emancipator”. Click here to see complete flyer.

September 20th: Hollywood In Pleasanton

HOLLYWOOD is coming back to Pleasanton on Sept. 20 this year.  We had lots of fun with it last year.  The Museum On Main became a theater that was premiering an Abbott and Costello movie made in Pleasanton, “ It Ain’t Hay.”  Abbott and Costello did a “live” radio show of Who’s On First direct from our front yard.  The crowd hovered around the red carpet to see the movie stars.  John Wayne, Greta Garbo, Mae West, and  others graced us with their presence as well as all the stars that were in the six movies we presented to the public.  Silent movies were shown in the Museum theater.  Actors in the movies we presented did various things at their downtown movie sites, from filming scenes to rehearsing to press conferences. 

 This year we are selecting more of the movies that were made in Pleasanton from 1910-1943.  We have not completed our selections but will be presenting Huck Finn with Jack Pickford and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm with Mary Pickford.  Stay tuned to find out the names of the other movies. 

 We are currently looking for actors, directors, and stage hands for our movies.  If you are interested, please call Rebecca Bruner at 577-8802 or the Museum On Main at 462-2766. 

October 10th -- Saloons, Brothels, and Gambling

Did you know that Pleasanton was at one time considered to be “one of the most desperate towns in the West?”  It had saloons up and down Main St. and the side streets, many with gambling and brothels.  We want to bring you back to that time with an event that we are hosting on Oct. 10 at the Senior Center in Pleasanton.  Step back in time to a saloon of yesteryear with gambling and “working” women.  Entertainment on hand will feature piano players, banjos, dancing women, etc.  Check out your luck at the tables while nourishing your body with food and drink.  Many infamous characters are anxious to attend and meet you.  Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok are arriving from South Dakota.  George and Phoebe Hearst will be on hand.  General Pleasonton and his sister are regulars at all of the “best” affairs in Pleasanton.  We will have Pinkerton’s in attendance just in case any scoundrels of notorious reputation happen to show up.

Tickets will go on sale August 10 at the Museum on Main.  Call early as the saloon fills quickly.  Tickets are $40 per person and can be purchased over the phone, 462-2766, or at the museum with credit cards, cash, or checks.  Please feel free to dress in the clothes of yesteryear. 

October. 23 & 24: Ghost Walks

October 30: Ghost Walks

November 15: Holiday Luncheon and Fashion Show

Recent Events

Holiday Extravaganza
Sunday, November 16, 2:00-4:00 PM
Location: Veteran's Memorial Building

Pleasanton's Museum on Main started the Holiday Season with a spectacular Holiday Luncheon at the newly renovated Veteran Memorial Building. A Fashion Show featuring fashions only from our Pleasanton downtown stores and local models was a highlight as well as the enchanting gift ideas and holiday splendor offered by downtown merchants. This was an opportunity to shop local and visit the stores all in the one location. This event, a benefit for Pleasanton's Museum on Main, replaced our annual holiday tea. Tickets were $30.00 per person.

Click here to download the flyer

Pleasanton Ghosts Speak Out
Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

What is Halloween without a ghost or two? Plenty of ghosts were ‘talking’ when well-known, local psychic, Irma Slage told the stories of spirits she encountered while touring Pleasanton’s downtown businesses.

Her tales included: the digging of the tunnels under Pleasanton; the founders of Pleasanton; the Chinese experience in the city; the first settlers; and, the native Indian experience. The famous murder of the prostitute in the Pleasanton Hotel may also have been solved! Irma has held séances at the Pleasanton Hotel and private residences. And written a book entitled Automatic Writing.

Click here to download the flyer

The October Pleasanton Ghost Walk

The Ghost Walk took place on Friday and Saturday, October 10 and 11, as a self-guided tour. The tours left every 20 minutes from 5:00 p.m. to 8:40 p.m. on Friday, and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:40 p.m. on Saturday.

The Museum offered a guided Ghost Walk on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tours left every 30 minutes.

The Udderly Divine
Bovine Event
Saturday, October 4, 2008, 6 p.m.-11 p.m.

This event took place at the Pleasanton Senior Center, 5353 Sunol Blvd., Pleasanton, CA. Features of this event included music by Tommy & the 4 Speeds, voice and silent auctions, cuisine tastings from local restaurants, and an Alviso Adobe Community Park presentation.

This event was sponsored by:

Hollywood in Pleasanton
Sunday, September 21, 2008, 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Lights. Camera. Action. Did you know that Pleasanton was a site for making Hollywood films from 1910 to 1943? To highlight those film-making days, Pleasanton's Museum on Main held a "Hollywood in Pleasanton" downtown event. More than 36 movies were made in Pleasanton, and ticket holders went on a movie walk to the many different venues in downtown Pleasanton and to meet the local residents who were recreating film scenes and events.

"Hollywood in Pleasanton" took place during the Art and Heritage Festival. Here's what was in store:

• The 'filming' of the 1917 movie "Tom Sawyer," starring Jack Pickford, is an adventure with comedy and drama, and took place downtown.
• The 1943 movie, "It Ain't Hay," starring comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, had a red-carpet movie world premiere with Pleasanton residents playing the leading roles.
• The 1921 comedy "Peck's Bad Boy," starring Jackie Coogan recreated scenes starring locals in a special event at Towne Center Books.
• "Woman of the World," a 1925 love story and drama starring Pola Negri, a European-born actress, was at the Pleasanton's Museum on Main meeting the adoring audience.
• The cast of the drama "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm," starring Mary Pickford, provided a 'press tour' of this 1917 favorite.
• A rehearsal of the 1919 film, "Eyes of Youth" with the heartthrob Rudolph Valentino, a love story of duty and ambition.
• "Staging a Bank Robbery" was at Worthington Art Gallery, and the villains were never caught.

Music for the event was provided by pianist Bonnie Green at Museum.